If the gong show that erupted yesterday over the Alberta Progressive Conservative government's bungled effort to pander to its troglodytic social conservative faction by roadblocking LGBTQ students' rights illustrates anything, it is that Premier Jim Prentice is not the political superman we imagined, before whom all must bow.

It also shows that the famed dictum "a week is a long time in politics" is profoundly true here in Alberta, just as it is the United Kingdom where Labour prime minister Harold Wilson is said to have coined it in the 1970s.

CALGARY

Could Ric McIver actually win the Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership race?

Or, to put that another way, could Jim Prentice lose?

Maybe that seems like a theme for a political science fiction story to you. After all, Mr. Prentice -- the former banker, corporate lobbyist and federal cabinet minister -- is the choice of the PC establishment.

What's more, he's now backed by 49 of 59 PC Members of the Legislative Assembly. All the political oddsmakers say he’s a sure bet to win. He acts like a guy who's on a holiday cruise to victory.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way. -- Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

UPDATE: As David predicted below, Deputy Premier Dave Hancock has been named interim Premier of Alberta.

Alberta Premier Alison Redford, who resigned moments after 6 p.m. on Wednesday March 19, fell victim to her own hubris and that of the party she led.

In the next few days and weeks, we are certain to hear two competing narratives emerge to explain what happened to Redford's short, unhappy premiership, which began when she was sworn in on October 7, 2011, and ended suddenly yesterday evening in the palace coup, dignified resignation or whatever it was that happened.